phelps



W. I. PHELPS.

MACHINE FOR SETTING UP CARTONS.

APPLICATIQN FILED FEB- 3. 1911.

1,333, 1 30. Patented Mar. 9, 1920.

a SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES [09%8; W 7 v BY A'I O RNEY W. 1.. PHELPS.

MACHINE FOR SETTING UP CARTONS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 3.19II.

Patented Mar. 9, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WLZZBI'cIP/aeag INVENTOR WITNESSES Wm flaw.

ATTORNEY W. J. PHELPS.

MACHINE FOR SETTING UP CARTONS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB-3.191].

Patented Mar. 9, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

1 Z I I ////////////////////////////y/// ATTORNEY tinrr-nn s'rarns rarirr orrrou.

WALTER J. PHELPS, F BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO PHELPS CAN COMPANY OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, A CGR-IPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

MACHINE FOB SETTING UP CARTONS.

Application filed February 3, 1917.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WVALTER J. PHELPS,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, State of Maryland, have invented a new and useful Machine for Setting up Cartons, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to machines for setting up cartons, which latter are usually shipped from the manufacturer in the collapsed condition and must be afterward opened up and certain flaps, ultimately forming the bottom of the carton, joined together for receiving goods for shipment or storage.

Ordinarily the cartons are rectangular and are made of pasteboard of suitable thickness and strength with the sides and ends of the body portion permanently fastened together, and the flaps which when folded and fastened together form the top and bottom of the carton still unsecured.

hen such cartons are to be used for receiving goods the flattened carton is opened out and the bottom is permanently closed by bringing the appropriate flaps into proper relation and securing them together. usually by a suitable cement, such as paste or glue.

It is the object of the invention to provide a. machine for the expeditious closing of those flaps constituting the bottom of the carton, the flaps being so folded and united that there are no gaps in the bottom of the carton through which the contents of the carton might escape.

The invention comprises a structure having a backing member and a follower or platen movable toward and from the backing member, and on which follower the opened-out carton is placed. Associated 'with the backing plate and follower are devices bv means of which the flaps when once brought together to form a complete closure cannot spread, so as to produce gaps, and automatic means may be provided whereby certain of the flaps are folded into the closed position and are forced into actual edge to edge contact or into very close edge to edge relation and there held in fare to face engag ment with interposed adhesive until the adhesive is set.

hen the artons are square in crosssection, the flaps mav be of substantially equal width, .but when the cartons-are Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 9, 1920.

Serial No. 146,469.

longer than wide and the flaps are of equal width, those flaps folding in from the ends of the cartons do not meet, but those flaps folding in from the sides of the carton may meet at the edges, in which case it is cus- 7 tailed description, taken inconnection with the ac ompanying drawings forming part of this specification, with the further understanding that while the drawings show a practical form of the invention, the latter is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawings, but may be changed and modified so long as such changes and modifications come within the scope of the a pended claims.

In the drawings t' Figure l is a perspective view of the mac'haine for setting up cartons, so e parts being broken away to more clearly show distant parts.

Fig. 2 is a entral vertical section of the structure of Fig. 1 showing a carton in place preparatory to having the bottom permanently closed.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a ate structure and some associated parts used b cking plate and supporting parts there ba king plate.

Referring to the drawings there is shown nected to elbows 6, in turn receiving pipes 7 directed toward each other and joined by a T coupling 8. Extending from the T couplings 4 are other pipes 9 similar to and at a lower level than the pipes 7 and entering and connected together by a four-way or cross coupling 10 arranged below the coupling 8. Screwed into and depending from the coupling 8 is a pipe or rod 11 extending straight through the coupling 10 without threaded connection thereto, and below the coupling 10 the pipe 11 enters a hub 12 rising centrally from a plate 13 having strengthening webs 14 thereon. The pipe 11 is made fast in the coupling 10 by a set screw 15 or in any other appropriate manner, and is made fastin the hub 12 by a set screw 16, or in any other appropriate manner. The pipe 11 has extended screw threads 17 at its upper end where entering the coupling 8, so that it may be screwed to a greater or lesser extent into the coupling, thus determining the height of the plate 13 from the base ,1.

The plate'13 carries a facing plate 18 of similar area connected at suitable points, such as the corners, by bolts 19 to the plate 13 and the two plates are spaced apart by washers 20 which may be in the form of rubber washers or rings to provide a certain amount of elasticity between the two plates, permitting the plate. 18 to yield toward the plate 13 when a lifting pressure is applied to the plate 18 in the manner and for the purpose which will hereinafter appear.

Mounted on the base 1 is an upright cylin der 21 having at its upper end a head 2-2 through whichthere is passed a piston rod 23 carrying a piston 24 lodged in the cylinder and capable of moving lengthwise thereof. The piston rod 23 rises above the top of the cylinder for an appropriate distance,

and at its upper end enters a hub 25 formed centrally of what constitutes the under surface of a plate 26. the parts being suitably stiffened and stren thened by webs 271' The r d :23 is held in'the hub 25 by a set screw 28 or in any other suitable way, and also extends through a collar 29 carried by up- .rights 30 located on opposite sides of the p ston rod and rising from the cylinder head 22. the particular construction shown comprising a plate 31 on the head 22 and provided with a central boss 32 suitably bored for the passage of the piston rod 23. The collar 29 carries a set screw 33 entering a lon itudinal groove 3 in the piston rod, so that the latter may'ri-se and fall, but is premay meet.

the table :26 near the ends thereof.

vented from turning by the set screw 33, while the collar 29 serves to steady the upper end of the piston rod where it carries the plate 26.

The uprights 30 are spaced sufiiciently from the piston rod 23 to permit the application of a spider to the piston rod. This spider is conveniently constructed from metallic strips formed into a central collar 36 of a size to clamp tightly on the rod 23 and the ends of the strips project from the collar to form the legs of the spider.

The plate or table 26 is of a size and shape to enter an opened-out carton 37, usually made of pasteboard and of a desired size. The carton 37 is indicated in the drawings as of rectangular outline in cross-section, and is provided with end flaps 38 and side flaps 39 at top and bottom, which flaps when folde l together constitute the respective closures of the carton. In the particular showing of the drawings the carton is indicated as longer in one direction than in the other with the side flaps 39 each as wide as onehalf the width of the carton, so that when the side flaps are folded down their edges The end flaps may be of the same width as the side flaps with the width considerably shorter than the length of the carton, wherefore, when the end flaps are folded down, there may remain a considerable space between their adiaccnt ends.

When a carton is first placed on the table 26 so as to inclose the latter the flaps are not yet folded together. Those flaps 38 and 39, which are then lowermost, find lodgment on the spider 35, and this spider is so adjusted that the lines of junction of the then upper flaps 38 and 39 with the body of the carton are ab ut on a level with the top of the plate or table 26.

Having placed the carton in position as described, the operator folds down the flaps 38 at the end portions of the carton, and these flaps are held in the folded position against the table 26 by atmospheric pressure due to the production of subatn ospheric pressure through ports 40 through These ports communicate with a suction pipe 4-! which may be connected to any suitable air exhausting apparatus capable of maintaining a degree of suction at the ports 10 sufiicient to hold the flaps 38 when folded down upon the table in such folded position. N ow, the operator applies an adhesive, such as paste or glue, to the then upper surfaces of the folded flaps, the paste or glue being conveniently held in a receptacle 12 carried by one of the uprights or posts, say, the post 3. By supplying air under pressure to the cylinder 21 below the piston 2-1 as by way of a pipe 43, the table 26 is lifted, and with it the carton carried thereby, and the flaps 39, which may be brought into engagement with the adhesive on the flaps 28, are, in turn, brought against the yieldable part 18 of the backing plate 13, so that the flaps 39 are forced into intimate contact with the flaps 38 and may be there held until the adhesive has set, this taking but a short time. The holding pressure is elastically applied because of the presence of the elastic washers 20, which latter may be replaced by any yieldable means, wherefore there is no liability of injury to the material of the carton.

F or the protection of the operator and for other purposes, there is provided a gate id, comprising a suitable frame with a wire mesh covering 45. The gate is of a length somewhat greater than the length of either the plate 13 or the plate 26, and the gate has end portions 46 and 47, respectively, arranged at an angle to the body of the gate. The end portion l6 is directed toward the post 3, so that when the gate is in the closed position it is close to the post 3 and is there held by a latch 48 which may be in the form of a simple spring latch catching one end bar of the gate frame. The other end of the gate frame is angularly bent and terminates in hinges 4:9 fast to the post 2. This arrangement permits the gate to be in partially surrounding relation to the two plates 13 and 26 and When swung to the open position the angle end 4L7 causes the body of the gate to be moved so far away from the parts designed to operate upon a carton as to leave ample room for the operator to manipulate the carton.

Carried by the gate frame are spring fingers 50 projecting from the gate toward the plate 26. These fingers are approximately upright bending slightly toward the plate 26 and terminating in angle extensions 51 having a still further trend toward the plate 26 or toward the upright center line of the machine.

Carried by the plate 13 are spring fingers 52 on the opposite side of the plate 13 from the gate. These spring fingers are inpendent relation to the plate 13 and are continued pendently to a point but a little higher than the lowermost position of the plate 26. The fingers 52 are then each returned upon themselves to form an up wardly inclined extension 53 with the inclination similar but opposite to the inclination of the fingers 50, and each finger 52 has an angle extension 54 bent still more toward the longitudinal center line of the machine and corresponding to the bent portions 51 of the fingers 50. There are, therefore, located on opposite sides and in the path of the plate or table 26, when'the latter is in the lowermost position, two pairs of spring fingers having a normal trend toward a plane extending between the posts 2 and 3.

Carried by the gate d4 near the hinge end thereof is a pin 55 on which is mounted a twopart link 56 having the two parts joined by bolts 57 or otherwise extending through longitudinal slots 58 in one part of the link, so that the effective length of the link may be changed at will.

The pipe 43 is connected to a valve 59 which may be a three-way valve connected by a pipe 60 to an air pipe 61 in turn connected to a suitable source of air under pressure, which, however, is not shown in the drawings. The valve 59 is provided with an exhaust port 62. The movable member of the valve indicated at 63 has its stem provided with a crank 64 to which that end of the link 56 remote from the pin 55 is pivotally connected. The arrangement is such that when the gate 4% is in the closed position shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the movable valve member 63 is so located that the pipe 43 18 coupled to the pipe 61, and consequently air under pressure flows to the cylinder 21 beneath the piston 24 and the latter is elevated. When the gate is opened the valve member 63 is moved to a position coupling the pipe 43 with the erhaust port 62 and closing communication with the pipe 60, so that the interior of the cylinder 21 beneath the piston 24: is then opened to the atmosphere through the pipe 43, whereupon the piston .24: and Pitl'ia' carried thereby may'fall, the arrangement being such that the weigl'it of the parts is sutlicient to cause the piston to fall when unresisted by superior air pressure beneath the piston.

When the flaps 38 are folded down on to the table 26 they-are there held by suction, and after adhesive has been applied and the laps 39 are folded down upon the flaps 38, or even folded toward the fiaps 38, they are sufiiciently bent to cause their free edges to meet the plate 18 at such an angle that a continued rising movementof the plate or table 26 will bend these flaps on their lines of junction with the body of the carton until they are brought into contact with the flaps 38 and the adhesive on these flaps. The fingers 50 and 52 above the plate 26 are normally closer together than the width of the plate, and consequently as the plate rises these fingers must be moved away one from the. other, thus causing a pressure to be brought to bear upon the line of unction of the flaps 39 with the body of the carton. This pressure is continued throughout a rising movement, the spring fingers separating but maintaining a sufficient pressure upon the carton where the fiaps 39 join it to force the meeting edges of these flaps as they, are folded down upon the flaps 38 into close engagement, wherefore any gap between these meeting edges is effectively pre vented. When the flaps 39 are brought into contact with the plate 18 they are forced with sufficient elastic pressure against the adhesive on the flaps 38 and there held until the cement has set, thus securing the flaps 39 in the folded position without any further chance of the flaps separating at the meeting edges to produce'a gap.

In the practical operation of the invention where large'quantities of the cartons are to be used it is customary to provide a battery of machines which may be quite closely associated but sufficiently spaced apart to permit the necessary manipulations and, if desired, to contain supplies of the flat cartons between the machines.

An operator opens the gate of a machine, if not already open, and taking a flat carton opens it up and places it in inclosing relation to the table 26, this being permitted because the gate and the fingers 50 are out of the way with the gate open. The carton'is lowered until it rests on the spider 35, and then the operator folds the flaps 38 down on to the table 26, these flaps being at once caught and maintained by air suction through the ports 40. The operator then applies the adhesive in the form of paste or glue on the then upper face of the flaps 38 and may bend the flaps 39 toward the flaps 38 into engagement therewith or merely toward them. The operator now closes the gate 44' whi 'h becomes automatically locked in position by the latch 48, whereupon air under pressure is admitted to the cylinder 21 and the carton is raised until'the plate 18 engaging the flaps 39 folds them toward the flaps 38 with the spring fingers 50 and 52 forcing the flaps 39 in the direction of their width into close edge to edge relation. The carton is held pressed against the face plate 18 of the plate 13 so long asthe gate 4:4: remains closed. the time being such as will permit the adhesive to set under pressure. Having applied a carton to one machine and started the machine into pressing and holding operation by closing the gate, he immediately passes to the next machine in order and performs the same operation.

Actual practice has shown that a single operator may readily control from four to six machines, or even more, the pressure being maintained in each machine for a sufficient length of time to insure the setting of the adhesive. As soon as the last machine in order has been set into operation the operator returns to the first machine and opens the gate, whereupon the air pressure is cut off and the cylinder 21 is opened through the pipe 43 to the atmosphere, permitting the table or plate 26 to drop with the carton thereon having the bottom securely closed without any gap between the meeting edges of the larger flaps. The finished carton is thenreadily removed and another carton is c. it... a.

unfolded and placed in the machine and the latter started in operation to complete the folding in of the bottom of the carton surrounding the plate or table 26.

The pressing of the larger flaps into edge engagement and there holding them during the setting of the adhesive is entirely automatic, and being beyond the volition of the operator does not depend upon any care or exercise of judgment on the part of the operator. F or this reason all the cartons have the bottoms folded in by the machine tightly closed, and hence not subject to any penalizing by common carriers. because such cartons are not subject to the higher rates charged for cartons having gaps in the bottoms.

i l hen the flaps 88 are folded down upon the table 26 and paste or other cementing material is applied thereto. more or less paste is liable to get upon that portion of the upper surface of the table '26 between the separated edges of the flaps 38. Such a paste accumulates from frequent applications, and drying will, if the top of the table be plane, form an elevation or hump preventing the close contact of the flaps 39 with the flaps 38 over all the pasted area. To avoid this trouble the top of the table 26 is formed with a cross depression which will rezeive surplus paste and prevent the formation of interfering accumulations.

hat is claimed is 2" 1. In a machine for setting up cartons having flaps to be folded and cemented together to constitute a closure for the carton, means for holding an opencdout carton with the flaps to be folded together uppermost and certain flaps folded down upon said means and provided with a coat of adhesive, automatic means for causing the folding of the other flaps at the same end of the carton toward each other into close edge to edge relation before the folding is completed. and means for completing the folding of the flaps and holding the folded flaps in face to face relation until the adhesive has set.

2. In a machine for setting up cartons having flaps to be folded and cemented together to constitute a bottom closure for the carton, a backing member, a follower movable in a straight line toward and from the backing member, said follower being of a size and shape and having a range of travel to receive an opened-out carton with the flaps to be folded uppermost and directed toward the backing member. and means for causing the follower to move toward the backing member to press the folded flaps thereagiainst and hold them in the pressed condition with the flaps in face to face re lation until interposed adhesive has set.

3. In a machine for setting up cartons provided with opposed flaps to be folded and cemented together to constitute a closure for the carton, certain of the opposed flaps being of a length to meet edge to edge crosswise of the carton, comprising means for folding said flaps toward the body of the carton and thereby forcing themeeting edges into close relation, and means for continuing the folding of the flaps to bring all of them constituting the closure into face to face relation and there hold them until the interposed adhesive has set.

4. In a machine for setting up cartons, provided with laps to be folded together to constitute the bottom of the carton, means for subjecting the flaps to pressure when provided with adhesive and in face to face relation to cause the flaps to become united in such face to face relation, and means for engaging certain of the flaps to fold them toward each other and toward the other flaps until in close edge to edge relation and there hold said flaps against spreading forces while the adhesive is setting.

5. In a machine for setting up cartons, provided with foldable flaps to be united in face to face relation by adhesive, means for compressing the flaps into face-to face contact and there holding them until the adhesive has set, and automatic means for forcing certain of the flaps toward each other while being forced toward the other flaps until in close edge to edge relation to sul stantially close the portion of the carton provided with flaps.

6. In a machine for setting up cartons having flaps foldable upon themselves to constitute a closure of the carton with the flaps united by adhesive, comprising a back ing member and another member for receiving and carrying the carton, means for moving the second member toward and from the first memberto compress the flaps when folded against the first member and there hold them until the adhesive has set, and guarding means for the two members under control of one of the members and independent of the movements of the other member.

7. In a machine for seting up cartons having flaps foldable upon themselves to constitute a closure of the carton with the flaps united by adhesive, comprising a backing member and another member for receiving and carrying the carton, means for moving the secondmember toward and from the first member to compress the flaps, when folded, against the first member and there hold them until the adhesive has set, and guarding means for the two members movable into and out of guarding relation thereto, said guarding member being in the form of a gate and provided with means for con trolling the movements of the second memher toward and from the first member in accordance with the closing and opening of the gate.

8. in. a machine for setting up cartons having flaps foldable upon themselves to constitute a closure of the carton with the flaps united by adhesive, comprising a backing member and another member for receiving and carrying the carton, means for moving the second member toward and from the first member to compress the flaps, when folded, against the first member and there hold them until the adhesive has set,- and guarding means for the two members lovable into and out of guarding relation thereto, said guarding member being in the form or a gate and provided with means for controlling the movements of the second member toward and from the first member in accordance with the closing and opening of the gate, said first-named member and the gate having means for engaging a carton when placed on the second member to cause certain of the flaps of the carton to move into and be held in close edge to edge relation when the flaps are folded and held under pressure.

9. A machine for setting up cartons, comprising a suitable frame, a backing plate thereon, a plate or table below the backing plate and movable toward and from the latter in the direction of the height of the machine, means for causing up and down movements of the plate or table, a gate movable toward and from the backing plate and also the table to constitute a protection when the machine is in operation, means connected with the gate and responsive to movements thereof for causing the up and down movements of the plate or table, and yieldable .members carried by the backing plate and by the gate for engaging a carton on the table when the table is moved toward the backing plate.

10. A. machine for setting up cartons, comprising a suitable frame, a backing plate carried by the frame at a high point, a plate or table for receiving a carton and located beneath the backing plate, fluid actuated means beneath and supporting the table for moving the table toward and from the backing plate, and means associated with and spaced from'the carton receiving table and movable therewith, whereby a carton with foldable closure flaps may be opened out and placed about the table with the flaps at one end resting on the last named means and the flaps at the other end between the table and the backing plate.

11. A machine for setting up cartons, comprising a suitable frame, a backing plate carried by the frame at a high point, a plate or table for receiving a carton and located beneath the backing plate, fluidactuated means beneath and supporting the table for moving the table toward and from the backing plate, and means associated with and spaced from the carton receiving table and movable therewith, whereby a carton with foldable closure flaps may be opened out and placed about the table with the fiaps at one end resting on the lastnamed means and the flaps at the other end between the table and the backing plate, said machine being also provided with a protecting gate carried by the frame and movable into and out of protecting relation to the table and backing plate, said backing plate having yieldable means in the path of a carton carried bythe table, and the gate having similar yielding means in the path of a carton on the table, and said gate having other means for controlling the flow of fluid underpressure to the means for elevating and lowering the table.

12. In a machine for setting up cartons having foldable flaps at the top and bottom, a backing plate with an elastically yieldable face plate, another plate or table for receiving an opened-out carton with the flaps to form the bottom thereof be tween the table and the backing plate, pneumatic means for moving the table toward and from the backing member, guarding means for the table and backing plate movable toward and away therefrom, and controlling means for the pneumatic means in turn controlled by the guarding means, whereby the latter causes the pneumatic means to move the table in the active direction. I

13. In a machine for setting up cartons having foldable flaps at the top and bot tom, a backing plate with an elastically yieldable face plate, another plate or table for receiving an opened-out carton with the flaps to form the bottom thereof between the table and the backing plate, pneumatic means for moving the table toward and from the backing member, and guarding means for the table and backing plate movable toward and away therefrom and when in approached relation thereto preventing access to'the space between the table and backing plate, said machine having means, in part carried by the guard means and movable therewith, for engaging opposite sides of a carton mounted on the table to prevent spreading of the flaps of the carton while being secured in the folded position.

14:. In a machine for setting up cartons having foldable flaps to be brought together to form a closure for the carton, a backing member, a follower movable toward and from the backing member and of a size and shape to support an opened-out carton with the flaps to be folded uppermost and presented toward the backing plate, the follower having a range of movement toward and from the backing plate to permit the placing of the opened-out carton on the follower with the upstanding flaps between the follower and backing plate, a guard member movable toward and from the follower and backing member, and flap-engaging devices on the guard and backing members for folding certain of the .flaps toward the follower and at the same time forcing such flaps and holding them in close edge to edge relation.

15. In a machine for setting up cartons having foldable flaps to be brought together to form a closure for the carton, a backing member, a follower movable toward and from the backing member and of a size and shape to support an opened-out carton with the flaps to be folded uppermost and presented toward the backing plate, the follower having a range of movement toward and from the backing plate to permit the placing of the opened-out carton on the follower with the upstanding flaps between the follower and backing plate, a guard member movable toward and from the follower and backing member, and flap-engaging devices on the guard and backing members for folding certain of the flaps toward the follower and at the same time forcing such flaps and holding them in close edge to edge relation said fiapengaging members being in the form of spring strips bent to force the flaps toward each other when the carton is moved by the follower toward the backing member.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aliixed by signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WALTER J. PHELPS.

Witnesses JOHN H. Srccnns, ANNIE MYERS. 

